Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Takedown barrel made permanent

Is it possible to change the barrel back to the t/d version on one that has been set permanent?
Also, what or how did they make it permanent?

Thanks

On one of my G's that had already been bubbaed the gunsmith chased the barrel threads to tighten them up. He said it would take a barrel vise to get it back apart. It went from shooting holes all over the target to 3/4" to 1 1/4" groups at 100 yards. I figure if I took it apart it probably wouldn't shoot nearly that good so I'm not messing with it. Several of my early TD's with interrupted threads don't come apart. I think Savage went to full threads about 1920 because the interrupted thread guns loosened up pretty quickly. My early TD's probably got loose and someone tightened them up. I'm not taking them apart either. I'm not a gunsmith but I wouldn't mess with your rifle if it was mine unless there was a darn good reason.

I'm with David. I have several that the barrels are more than hand tight and I just leave them that way.

Have seen TD's that there drill and tapped with the screw(s) in the receiver ring that were to long.

Any number of ways it could've been permatized. Solder, epoxy, threads peened for an interference fit, etc.

I love takedowns, they're the only kind of Savage I own. Something about the novelty of them that piques my interest. Maybe I've been lucky but I can't bitch about the accuracy of any of them. But, I don't look to the Savage rifle for soul soothing tiny groups- I have bunch of other rifles for that. I like the idea of packing an eminently handy woods companion (as long as it's scopeless) into a small package for transport- I drive small foreign cars. An added benefit is carrying said small rifle case across a parking lot or hotel lobby and not raising eyebrows.

Thanks for the info. I do like the option of the t/d, but not sure if I want to mess with converting this back to one.

Just because you can't get it off, does not mean it was "Fixed". It might just be tight. You might need a gun vice to put the action in, so you don't put any twist on the wood. Punch a hole in an old leather belt and pop it over the forearm lug. Wrap it around the barrel, down to the action, then punch another hole in the belt that you can slide a long screw driver through for a lever. Make sure the belt has an overlap at the action end so you don't mar the barrel when applying pressure. This method was passed on to me, but mine came off before I got that far.

I've seen pipe wrench marks on some TD barrels. I'm not recommending that!

If a takedown barrel is snug on both the face of the receiver and at the breech face, and the indexing key (lug) is tight in both keyways, it'll return as good accuracy as any non-TD lightweight barrel. Getting the contact points done just right can be a hair pulling endeavor, but is oh-so-necessary unless one is satisfied with "minute-of-deer accuracy. After that headspace must be reckoned with if alterations took place.

Yeah, if it works, don't fix it.

I've got a dedicated old leather belt just for this.

Wonder where I got that info?

I think I heard it first from Mad Dog.

Actually, Rory, you did give me the info. It was for the K with the Noske on it. I was trying to get John to take it down to ship it. He wound up sending it in a hard case. So, I never did get that barrel off. I let it fall into Gary's, "If it ain't broke" category.

I definitely didn't think it up, just passing along good advice I got here. I had a 99F in 22HP that had a burr in the threads and was tighter than heck, but buyer wanted his new takedown to actually "take down". He was worried it had been made into a solid frame. Got it off with the belt.

Thanks for the belt tip. I have a couple of them that won't come off and I don't use pipe wrenchs. Always figured if it doesn't come of by hand it wouldn't come off.

To Nash22/op

Please don't be offended but many people don't open the action before trying to unscrew a take down. Just a reminder.

Anybody ever tap on groove in the bottom of the barrel with a brass drift to see if it will come loose?

Yep, already new that, but thanks.

Even a brass drift can peen something like that if you whack it hard enough.

I sometimes wondered if a "C" wrench, lined with leather, of a diameter to closely fit the knoxform of the barrel, with a steel stud to precisely fit the index groove would suffice to break free a recalcitrant TD barrel.

Yes. And it worked!

With my1926 G 30-30 there was no way in heck I could turn the barrel by hand . Someone with real man strength might but have my doubts. I made a no mar action wrench , then put a barrel vice on the barrel with leather jaws. Made a handle that bolted to the barrel vice , set the action wrench in a give and the barrel turned off easy. One (1) time . Just to see if apart. Can live not seeing it apart again.